Piper's Vale Primary - A Paradigm Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 February 2022

Piper's Vale is a unique school where everyone is greeted by their first name. There is a sense of ambition and belonging. One pupil said, 'Teachers support us, and we rely on them.' Throughout the day the school is a hive of activity, with music, singing and physical education activities going on. This is alongside the focused attention seen in the other curriculum areas. Pupils behave well. They show respect for one another, and for staff and visitors. If pupils do fall out, they are supported to understand the feelings of everyone involved. Pupils said that name-calling does happen, and there has been some bullying in the past. Pupils think that leaders are now quick to pick up on these things and pupils feel happy about this. Pupils reported that they feel safe, and parents agree. Pupils show delight at the variety of clubs, trips and visitors to the school. Pupils talk fondly about going to the local library, the museum and the zoo. These events are part of the trust's chosen 'Hinterland' curriculum, and are memorable for the pupils. Another pupil said, 'It is a kind place, where we can express what we want to do.'

What the school should improve

• Where the delivery of the curriculum is new, for example in mathematics, it is currently inconsistent throughout the school. In this case, some pupils in key stage 2 are not catching up as quickly as they need to. Leaders must ensure that all teachers are able to correctly use assessment information and deliver the reviewed curriculum, so that it is more precisely matched to the needs of all pupils.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)